Nozuka’s compose-by-numbers approach came to an abrupt end at age 15, after the singer experienced his first heartbreak. Consumed by pain, Nozuka penned a bittersweet ballad that heralded his creative awakening. Entitled “Supposed To Grow Old,” the song’s mature lyrics provide insight into the lovesickness that unlocked Nozuka’s expressiveness: “Lock the pictures away, hide the letters too/anything to get my mind off you… there's no way that you could have forgotten all of the memories I thought we shared /we were supposed to grow old.”

“That was at the start of my real writing,” said Nozuka. “… it was real, you know what I mean?”

Today, nearly three years after that musical epiphany, Nozuka is winning international accolades for his courtly original songs, including fan favorites like “Don’t Listen To a Word,” “Mr. Therapy Man” and “After Tonight.” Initially released in Europe in 2007, Nozuka’s debut album, Holly, showcases the singer’s urgent tenor voice, which combines the lounge-soul sensibilities of John Legend with the dreamy vocal mannerisms of the late Jeff Buckley.

Holly was an immediate hit with critics. In an enthusiastic 4-star review, the BBC described Nozuka’s album as, "eleven impressive pieces of thoughtful acoustic-soul . . . filled with understated melodies, minimal production and an interesting, sometimes dark take on song-craft.” The UK-based Q Magazine called Nozuka’s album, “superior acoustic soul.”

Now, with the recent U.S. release of Holly, stateside fans can finally hear what all the shouting is about. While many of his troubadour peers hide behind frilly metaphors, Nozuka delivers sentimental lyrics like “a day without you is a day without the sun” with soulful urgency. Like the blues singers of yore, Nozuka seems to understand that simple lyrics and deep-felt performances trump arty contrivance.

The son of a Japanese father and an American mother, Nozuka grew up gorging on the sounds of Motown, Lauryn Hill and various pop, rap, jazz and reggae artists. In his mid-teens, Nozuka became a regular on the Toronto coffeehouse/club scene. A recent graduate of Toronto’s Etobicoke School of the Arts, he hails from a creative family. His mother, actress Holly Sedgwick, is the sister of TV/movie star Kyra Sedgwick, while his brothers are r&b singer George Nozuka and actor Philip Nozuka.

This apparent inborn ability helps explain Justin Nozuka’s ease on stage. Having performed on bills with greats like John Cale, Crowded House and Ziggy Marley, Nozuka speaks of the stage with almost churchly reverence. “It’s like a sacred place,” the Canadian wunderkind says. “When I’m on stage… I’m in my own world.”

Danish singer/songwriter Annekei kicked off BMI's CMJ events on Nov. 1, offering an eclectic mix of soulful vocals, catchy hooks and seductive grooves. The 24-year-old has just released her self-titled debut on Japanese label Being Records. Raised in Denmark in a family of seven musicians, Annekei had her first major break in 2005 when her U.K.-released single, "More of Your Love,' worked its way into a major club hit.

The next day, Philadelphia's Eric James and his band the New Century dropped by BMI's New York office to show off their brand of arty pop. While an element of heart-on-his-sleeve honesty is a fundamental part of his music, James explores deeply resonating subjects from an artful but non-posturing attitude. Eric's latest recordings feature the talented production skills of Christopher Thorn and Brad Smith (Blind Melon, Anna Nalick) and drummer Pete McNeil (Cake).

Lunch on Nov. 3 featured the angelic vocals and acoustic guitar of Toronto transplant Justin Nozuka. With recent opening slots for Ziggy Marley, Sam Roberts and the Philosopher Kings, this talented singer/songwriter was also a featured artist on BMI's See It Hear First podcast #12. Just 18, Nozuka is impressing listeners with his engaging personality, gripping lyrics and rugged, soulful voice.

BMI also served up a "Not So Acoustic Brunch" on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Living Room, with performances by four of the most-buzzed about indie acts of the year, including the Broken West, Bound Stems, Oh No! Oh My! and the Rosewood Thieves. The noon-time showcase and breakfast-sandwich wraps were co-sponsored by Pump Audio.

BMI's "See It Hear First" podcast has become an important tool for exposing new BMI songwriters and artists to key industry professionals and fans alike. Since its release in May 2005, more than one million listeners from around the world have tuned in to discover new music from a broad range of genres and regions.

All editions of the BMI podcast are available at bmi.com/podcast, as well as from iTunes at bmi.com/itunes and Yahoo's podcast directory at podcasts.yahoo.com, or you can listen on the go with mobile podcasting services like Pod2Mob. The first in the music industry to be listed in Apple's podcast directory, "See It Hear First" is currently rated five out of five stars at Yahoo! and has won the "5 Star Award" from PodSpider, one of the world's largest podcast databases.

In addition to hearing great music from an array of vital new songwriters and artists, podcast listeners can also vote for their favorite artist to help them win a CD duplication package from Disc Makers, the leading CD manufacturer for the independent musician. Winners get 1,000 discs, a prize with a promotional value of more than $10,000.

Oh No! Oh My!
Nashville-based trio Oh No! Oh My! weave crisp, electronic backbeats with folk-inspired guitar strums and harmonies to create an experimental electro-pop-folk hybrid. The sunny vocals often relay tongue-in-cheek stories and declarations, and members Greg Barkley, Daniel Hoxmeier and Joel Calvin have each mastered several instruments apiece, including banjos, drums, guitars and accordions. Hear this band of tomorrow today on "Walk in the Park."

God or Julie
Manhattan's God or Julie embraces the blues both emotively and musically. Members Jon Paul, Adam and Aaron were sneaking into New York City blues clubs while still in high school and moved on to absorb bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Silverchair only after "trading licks and downing shots with blues players "four times our age." After adding Marc Slutsky on drums, the three friends became four, and the group's brand of emotionally charged rock struck a chord with listeners. Hear their guitar-driven sound on "Say Your Last Goodbye."

O.T.I.S.
Pianist/vocalist Jesse Gage and drummer Craig Myer form the Brooklyn duo O.T.I.S. The charismatic pair cites the Flaming Lips and Coldplay as chief influences, and the result is a creative combination of the saucy and the melancholy, anchored by Gage's classically trained piano background. Savor your first taste of O.T.I.S. here on "Weight of the World."

Justin Nozuka
Seventeen-year-old Justin Nozuka began singing and writing songs five years ago and now boasts a breathtakingly mature voice destined for greatness. Born into a deeply supportive artistic family, Nozuka claims he has never had a moment's doubt as to his life's purpose. A melodic and lyrical wunderkind of sorts, one can only imagine the musical territory this young man will explore and conquer in the many years to come. Hear Justin Nozuka first on his song "After Tonight," then learn more about this young artist through BMI's exclusive podcast interview.]]> 2006-07-25T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/533500 Artists, Nozuka, Justin, Musicworld, On The Scene Justin Nozuka is a 17 year old singer/songwriter living in Toronto, Canada.

Born in Queens, NY, Justin grew up in a family of passionate artists who introduced him to the expression of art. He started singing at the age of 12 and began to write songs. Since then, he hasn’t had a second thought of what he wants to do for the rest of his life. Justin is passionate about becoming an international touring artist and presently in the works to make this come true. Playing live at venues around the city he is getting ready to do a tour.

http://www.myspace.com/justinnozuka